The petition of Rowland Harrison of Whitby, North Riding of Yorkshire, 1685
To the Right Hon[oura]ble his Ma[jes]ties Justices of the Peace Assembled at ye Quarter Sessions held at Thirsk.
The humble Petition of Rowland Harrison of Whitby
Humbly sheweth:
That your Petitioner was a soldier under the command of Sir Lewis Divis in one of the Troopes of Prince Ruperts Rigiment when our soveraigne lord King Charles the First Pitcht his standard first at Nottingham, and was in the Engagem[en]t at Worcester and afterwards at Edgehill, and was at the takeing of Banbury, and at Branford Fight where they took Five hundred prisoners and Five pieces of Ordinance, and was at the taking of Malbury, And when they went to take Sisester yo[u]r Petition[e]r was taken prisoner on Candlemas Eve and lay in the Goal at Glocester until the second day of May following. When he gott out of Prison came into their owne Troo{p} at Abbington, and after was engaged with Sir Arthur Hasslerigg whome they rooted, and then march’d into the West and was at ye taking of Larpool and then came to York fight at Hessaw Moor and there was beaten by the Parliaments forces, after March’d into Wales where they had their quarters beat up at Welchpool. after was in the engagement in Nasebrough Feild where yo[u]r Petitioner was one of the Nine that Escaped out of Three and Thirty that went out of Prince Rupert Regiment. afterwards yo[u]r Petitioner was kept Eight Weeks in Prison at Esome where hee with seaven and Twenty more broke ye prison and gott away, and was at severall other engagements where they beat up their Enemies quarters and yett hath hitherto lived by his labour without being Burthensome to his Ma[jes]ty or the Country, but being now about Seaventy years of Age and grown infirme and haueing a Wife and family to maintaine humbly prays some small pension for ye releife of his Necessities
And your petitioner shall {ever pray etc.}
Wee whose names are under written being inhabitants of Whitby haue for many years past known the Petitioner & haue heard of his services to his Ma[jes]ty soe as wee doe verily belieue the contents of this Petition to be True. and wee doe know yt ye Petitioner hath bene alwayes a laborious paines taking man.
Hen[ry] Lisle
Rob[er]t Rymer
Chris[topher] Prousglove
I believe the contents of this Petic[i]on to be true having heard the same confirmed for more then thirty years yt the Petic[i]oner hath bin known to me.
H[ugh] Cholmeley
I doe beleive ye contents of ye petition to be true
Durand Hotham
Lu[ke] Bagwith
W[illia]m Bagwith
Rob[er]t Porrison
Edward Keilds